Scent delivery and preservation systems and methods for beverage containers

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for controlling scent delivery by a scented article for beverage containers. In some aspects, a scent delivery system includes a cap attachable to a beverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap, wherein the cap comprises a base, a movable component coupled to the base and able to move between a first position and a second position, and a scent chamber including an encasement to which the scented article is attached, the encasement coupled to the movable component or the base, wherein a portion of the scented article is exposed to air from an outside environment with respect to the cap when the movable component is in the second position, and wherein the encasement creates a contact seal to enclose the scented article within the scent chamber and lock in the scent when the movable component is in the first position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent document claims priorities to and benefits of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/678,808 entitled “SCENT DELIVERYAND PRESERVATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS” filed onMay 31, 2018. The entire content of the aforementioned patentapplication is incorporated by reference as part of the disclosure ofthis patent document.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document relates to techniques, devices and systems forcontrolling scent delivery by scented articles in beverage containers toenhance a user's sense of smell and/or taste.

BACKGROUND

Fragrance or aroma compounds have been used since antiquity to freshenair and cover odors. One early example includes incense, an aromaticmaterial that forms a fragrant smoke when burned, which is believed tohave been used by the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and other ancientpeoples thousands of years ago. Perfumes were developed over time,having various concentrations of aromatic compounds in a solvent, suchas an alcohol. For example, a cologne typically has 3-8% aromaticcompound(s) in solvent, whereas an eau de toilette has 5-15% aromaticcompound(s) in solvent. By the middle of the twentieth century,fragrance compounds were manufactured into aerosol sprays for airfreshener and deodorant products; and decades later, scented materialswere developed in products like scented candles.

The nasal cavity has specialized sensory cells that mediate olfaction.The main olfactory system of humans and animals detects volatilechemicals, and the accessory olfactory system detects fluid-phasechemicals. Olfaction like taste is a form of chemoreception. Thechemicals that activate the olfactory system, generally at very lowconcentrations, are called odorants. Accordingly, there is a commonalitybetween the perception of smell and the perception of taste. In fact, incertain instances, the sense of smell may supplement and/or otherwiseenhance the sense of taste. For instance, it is well known that maladiesaffecting the sense of smell adversely affect the sense of taste. Astaste plays an important role in one's motivation for consuming a foodor drink article, there is an interest in the art for agents thatenhance the perception of taste of food and drink articles.

SUMMARY

Disclosed are techniques, devices and systems for controlling scentdelivery and/or preserving a scent from a scented article incorporatedin a beverage container. In some aspects, the disclosed techniques,devices and systems provide improvements for applying such scentedarticles to a wide range of different beverage containers in ways thatpreserve the scented articles' ability to deliver and preserve theirscent across multiple uses.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system includes a cap removablyattachable to a drinking container at an opening of the drinkingcontainer, the cap including a mechanism to move between an openposition that allows fluid within the drinking container to flow outwardand a closed position that prevents the fluid to flow outward; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the fluid when the cap is in the open position, which,when in the cap is in closed position, a seal is created by the cap toenclose the scented article and lock in the scent.

In some embodiments, a cap for providing a scent delivery system to abeverage container includes a fixed base including a hole through whichthe beverage can pour; a movable portion mounted on the fixed base sothat the movable portion moves between a closed position that seals thehole and an open position that unseals the hole; an attachment assemblyincluding a first inner wall and a first outer wall capable to dispose ascented article between them so that a portion of the scented article isexposed to air when the movable portion is in the open position; and areceiving assembly including a second inner wall and a second outerwall, which, when in the movable portion is in closed position, thefirst inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall, and the firstouter wall is in contact with the second outer wall to create a contactseal around the scented article.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system includes a lid removablyattachable to a drinking container at an opening of the drinkingcontainer, the lid including a mechanism to move between an openposition that allows fluid within the drinking container to flow outwardand a closed position that prevents the fluid to flow outward; and ascented article that couples to the lid and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the fluid when the mechanism is in the open position,which, when in the mechanism is in closed position, a seal is created toenclose the scented article and lock in the scent.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system includes a straw removablyattachable to a drinking container at an opening of the drinkingcontainer, the lid including a mechanism to couple a scented article tothe straw and move between an open position that allows a scent toemanate therefrom and a closed position that creates a seal to lock inthe scent, which the scent is capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the fluid when themechanism is in the open position.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beverage includes acap attachable to a beverage container proximate an opening of thebeverage container to cover the opening into the beverage container, thecap operable to move, reversibly, between a closed position thatprevents a liquid contained within the beverage container to flowoutward from the beverage container and an open position that allows theliquid within the beverage container to flow outward while the cap isattached to the beverage container; and a scented article that couplesto the cap and operable to generate a scent capable of stimulating anolfactory sensation of a user including during consumption of the liquidwhen the cap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a base,a movable component coupled to the base such that the movable componentis able to move with respect to the base between a first position and asecond position, and a scent chamber including an encasement to whichthe scented article is attached, the encasement coupled to the movablecomponent or the base, wherein a portion of the scented article isexposed to air from an outside environment with respect to the cap whenthe movable component is in the second position, and wherein theencasement creates a contact seal to enclose the scented article withinthe scent chamber and lock in the scent when the movable component is inthe first position.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beverage includes acap attachable to a beverage container proximate an opening of thebeverage container to cover the opening, the cap operable to move,reversibly, between a closed position that prevents a liquid containedwithin the beverage container to flow outward from the beveragecontainer and an open position that allows the liquid within thebeverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixed baseincluding a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, a movablecomponent coupled to the fixed base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the fixed base between a first position toblock the hole and put the cap in the closed position and a secondposition to unblock the hole and put the cap in the open position, and ascent chamber comprising a first encasement and a second encasement,wherein the first encasement includes a first inner wall and a firstouter wall that form a first channel between them, wherein the secondencasement includes a second inner wall and a second outer wall thatform a second channel between them, wherein the first encasement isconfigured to attach the scented article to one or both of the firstinner wall and the first outer wall such that the scented article isdisposed in the first channel so that a portion of the scented articleis exposed to air when the movable component is in the second position,and wherein the second encasement is positioned to align with the firstencasement such that, when the movable component is in first position,(i) the first inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall and(ii) the first outer wall is in contact with the second outer wall tocreate a contact seal around the scented article, wherein, when the capis in closed position, the contact seal created by the cap encloses thescented article and locks in the scent.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beverage includes acap attachable to a beverage container proximate an opening of thebeverage container to cover the opening, the cap operable to move,reversibly, between a closed position that prevents a liquid containedwithin the beverage container to flow outward from the beveragecontainer and an open position that allows the liquid within thebeverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixed baseincluding a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, a movablecomponent coupled to the fixed base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the fixed base between a first position toblock the hole and put the cap in the closed position and a secondposition to unblock the hole and put the cap in the open position, themovable component including a shaft and an outer wall that spans outwardand downward such that the movable component forms an enclosable spacewith the fixed base, such that the enclosable space is enclosed when themovable component is in the first position, and a scent chambercontained within at least a portion of the enclosable space between themovable component and the fixed base, wherein the scented article isattached to the movable component or to the fixed based, such that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air from an outsideenvironment with respect to the cap when the movable component is in thesecond position, wherein, when the movable component is in firstposition, the outer wall of the movable component is in contact with thefixed base to create a contact seal to enclose the scented articlewithin the scent chamber and lock in the scent.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beverage includes astraw removably attachable to a drinking container proximate a hole ofthe drinking container, the straw operable to allow a liquid containedwithin the drinking container to flow through the straw and out of anopening of the straw when suction is applied to the opening; and ascented article coupled to an exterior surface of the straw and operableto generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of auser including during consumption of the liquid when the cap is in theopen position, the straw including a cover disposed on an outside regionof the straw and able to move between a first position that fully coversthe scented article and a second position that at least partiallyexposes the scented article to allow the scent to emanate therefrom.

In some embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beverage includes apop-top lid attached to a top surface of a beverage container proximatean opening of the beverage container that is initially covered by acover, the pop-top lid operable to move with respect to the top surfaceof the beverage container, wherein the pop-top lid is in an initialposition when the cover covers the opening, and wherein the pop-top lidis movable to a second position to cause the opening to be at leastpartially uncovered by the cover; a scented article operable to generatea scent capable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a userincluding during consumption of the liquid; and a scent chamberincluding an encasement to which the scented article is attached, theencasement coupled to the pop-top lid or the top surface of the beveragecontainer, wherein a portion of the scented article is exposed to airfrom an outside environment with respect to the scent chamber when thepop-top lid has been moved from the initial position to the secondposition, and wherein the encasement creates an initial contact seal toenclose the scented article within the scent chamber and lock in thescent when the pop-top lid is in the initial position.

The subject matter described in this patent document can be implementedin ways that provide one or more of the following features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured inside a sealable channel of adrinking container featuring a nipple-type spout.

FIGS. 2A-2I show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured inside a sealable channel orchamber of a drinking container featuring an alternatively-shapednipple-type spout.

FIGS. 3A-3D show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured inside a sealable channel of adrinking container featuring a straw-type spout.

FIGS. 4A-4C show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured inside a sealable channel of adrinking container featuring a flip-cap spout.

FIG. 5 shows an example embodiment of a scented beverage system appliedto a beverage container containing a screw-down lid.

FIGS. 6A-6D show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured inside a sealable channel of astraw for a drinking container.

FIGS. 7A-7D show example embodiments of a scented beverage systemincluding a scented article configured to a beverage container, such asa can, utilizing a pop-top lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For humans, mammals and other living things, the olfactory systemdetects airborne substances, e.g., volatile chemicals, and provides theliving organism with a sense of smell. Olfaction, like taste, is a formof chemoreception. Accordingly, there is a commonality between theperception of smell and the perception of taste. In certain instances,the sense of smell may supplement and/or otherwise enhance the sense oftaste, and, for example, maladies affecting the sense of smell adverselyaffect the sense of taste.

Taste plays an important role in one's motivation for consuming food ordrink. As such, food science has spent decades formulating new processedfoods and drinks having agents that enhance the perception of taste offood and drink articles. However, more and more studies are showingadverse health effects for some processed foods, which can be due toadditives that were used to enhance perception of taste.

Scent-based technologies, such as scented materials and articles, can beused to augment the characteristics of the material or article to affecta person's sense of smell, and thereby sense of taste. For example, ascented material or article may include a chemical agent, such as afragrance or aroma compound, that stimulates a chemoreceptor of theolfactory system of the subject or otherwise stimulates sense of smelland/or taste of a subject. One example of scent-based technologiesincludes scented articles that attach or are included as part of adrinking bottle system, in which the scented article provides a pleasingodorant to a user that stimulates a corresponding chemoreceptor of theuser's olfactory system to enhance the user's sense of smell and/ortaste of a drinkable fluid in the bottle. For example, the scentedarticle can be a lime-scented ring that attaches to the bottle aroundthe bottle opening so that, as the user drinks the beverage within thebottle, such as water, the user experiences a lime-taste to the waterfrom the lime scent that emanates from the scented article whiledrinking.

Some examples of the scented articles for augmenting a user's perceptionof taste through smell are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,801,969B2entitled “SCENTED ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS”, which is incorporated aspart of the disclosure in this patent document.

Yet, there are a variety of beverage containers that have differentcontainer structures than a typical bottle and that serves differentpurposes for the user. For example, squeeze bottles can squirt thebeverage out from a narrow opening, such as a nipple type spout, that iscoverable by a lid. Moreover, there are many variants of tops or capsfor squeeze bottles, e.g., which can have different mechanisms forcovering or sealing and exposing the opening of the squeeze bottle.Also, for example, some beverage containers include a straw for a userto suck out the beverage from the container portion. Just like withsqueeze bottles, there are a plethora of ways to associate orincorporate a straw or straw-like mechanism into the drinking container.

For each type of drinking container design may bring a unique set ofchallenges to effectively and consistently provide a scented articlewith the particular drinking container that effectively and reliablydelivers the scent during consumption of the beverage to augment theuser's drinking experience by a virtual sense of taste perception due tothe delivered scent. Some problems are shared by both the structuralconstraints of the drinking container design and that of the scentedarticle's size, scent concentration, and position configurations withrespect to the drinking container. Many conventional scented articlesfor affecting use of a beverage or other products have failed toeffectively augment the user's experience with that product for suchreasons.

Disclosed are techniques, devices and systems for controlling scentdelivery and/or preserving a scent from a scented article incorporatedin a beverage container. In some aspects, the disclosed techniques,devices and systems provide improvements for applying such scentedarticles to a wide range of different beverage containers in ways thatpreserve the scented articles' ability to deliver and preserve aconsistent scent experience across multiple uses.

Example embodiments of scent delivery systems and methods in accordancewith the present technology are described below.

FIGS. 1A-1D show example embodiments of a scented system that can beapplied to a cap having a nipple-type spout that is attachable to abeverage container. As shown in FIG. 1A, a beverage container 101includes a container body 102 that contains a beverage and cap 103 thatcovers an opening at the mouth of the body 102 to dispense the beverage.Instead of merely presenting an open spout for the consumer to drinkfrom, the cap 103 includes a “nipple-type” spout 104 at an upper regionof the cap 103 and attaches to the body 102 at a lower region of the cap103, e.g., such as by a threading interfacing between a portion of thelower region of the cap 103 and an upper region 125 of the body 102 toallow the lower region of the cap 103 to screw down onto a threadedregion at the mouth of body 102. For example, a consumer engaging inactivities or sports may prefer a nipple-type spout where the consumerwishes to take periodic sips of beverage but wishes to seal thecontainer when not in use to prevent spillage. Moreover, the nipple-typearrangement allows the consumer to open the spout with their lips orteeth, obviating the need to have a free hand to remove the cap. Thisagain is consistent with consumption of beverages while a consumer isactive, since the consumer's hand may be otherwise engaged in theactivity. In some embodiments, the beverage container 101 can include anouter cap (not shown) that covers the cap 103, e.g., to protect thespout 104 from contaminants or unwanted contact by other objects.

FIG. 1B shows an enlarged, semi-cross-sectional or partially cut-awayview of the cap 103 that includes the nipple-type spout 104. Spout 104includes a fixed base 105 and a movable component or assembly 106 (alsoreferred to as “movable portion” 106), in which the fixed base 105 doesnot move relative to the lower region of the cap 103, and the movableportion 106 moves relative to the fixed base 105. The fixed base 105includes a cylinder 150 and a plug 151. In the example shown in the FIG.1B, movable portion 106 is mounted on cylinder 150 so that it can movebidirectionally relative to fixed base 105, e.g., by sliding up anddown; yet, in some embodiments, the movement of movable portion 106 canbe accomplished by having movable portion 106 twist along a threaded,screw-like path.

FIG. 1B shows movable portion 106 in its uppermost, or “open” position,exposing channel 107 to allow liquid to flow around plug 151 through anopening of the movable portion of the spout 104. When movable portion106 is lowered to its lowest, or “closed” position, the flow channel 107is blocked by plug 151 and liquid cannot flow. For example, in the“closed” position, the upper surface of the plug 151 can substantiallyalign with the upper, outer surface of the movable portion 106, e.g.,preventing spillage or leakage of the beverage out of the spout 104 ofthe cap 103.

In the present examples of the bottle container 101, a scented article108 may be incorporated into the cap 103 to enhance the experience ofdrinking the beverage. In the particular example shown in FIG. 1B, thebase of movable portion 106 is flared outward to create a firstencasement structure that includes an inner wall 109 and an outer wall110 that forms at least a portion of a first channel. The first channelbetween inner wall 109 and outer wall 110 can be modified to fit andhold the upper portion of scented article 108 such that a portion ofscented article 108 is exposed when the movable portion 106 is in theopen position. In the example of FIG. 1B, the scented article 108protrudes below the inner wall 109 and the outer wall 110. When movableportion 106 is in the open position, as shown in FIG. 1B, the protrudingportion of scented article 108 is exposed to the air but shielded frommaking contact with the consumer's lips, e.g., by outer wall 110.Because liquid flows through flow channel 107, the scented article 108is physically separated from fluid flow in any of the configurations ofthe movable portion 106, such as in the open position, the closedposition or any position therebetween. Notably, in this configuration,when a consumer is drinking from spout 104, the consumer's nostrils willbe located in close and measurable proximity to scented article 108.

The cap 103 includes a second encasement structure coupled to the fixedbase 105 and that includes an inner wall 111 and an outer wall 112, suchthat the inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112 are arranged directlybelow and correspond to inner wall 109 and outer wall 110, respectively.The inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112 also form a portion of asecond channel, labeled 113 in FIG. 1B. Together, corresponding innerwall 111 and corresponding outer wall 112 form channel 113 into whichthe protruding portion of scented article 108 can fit. Correspondinginner wall 111 and corresponding outer wall 112 are located such that,when movable portion 106 is lowered completely, they will meet innerwall 109 and outer wall 110, respectively, and form a contact seal. Inthis way, when movable portion 106 is lowered to its “closed” position,scented article 108 becomes encased within the seal created by the fourwalls. In this manner, the first encasement structure and the secondencasement structure provide a scent chamber or compartment wherein,when the cap is in closed position, the contact seal created by the capencloses the scented article within the compartment and locks in andtraps the scent within, allowing controlled release of the scent to theouter environment.

The contact seal serves multiple purposes. In certain embodiments, thecontact seal is air and water tight to preserve the scented articleinside. In this way, when the bottle is first constructed, shipped, anddeployed, e.g., in a retail environment, there will be no loss of scent,nor will the scents of adjacent bottles mix in the air in a store aisle.The contact seal can also function on reuse to preserve the scentedarticle and extend its use.

There are various ways to accomplish this type of contact seal. In theinitial construction, it may be desirable to have the walls beconnected, either by an adhesive or a thin layer of material that canbreak away upon the bottle's first opening. Alternatively, and forreversible sealing of the scented article during multiple uses, the sealcan be accomplished by ensuring the materials used to construct thewalls have the proper balance of give (elasticity) and rigidity toaccomplish the seal when mechanically compressed against each other, byincorporation of an additional lip of material on each of the walls atthe connection point to provide additional surface area to enhance theseal, and/or incorporation of an O-ring or other flexible structurebetween the walls to enhance the seal. There are many exampleembodiments of component assemblies, described throughout this patentdisclosure, that produce the seal of the scented article in a space thattraps the scent within, while allowing the seal to be controllablyunsealed to expose at least a portion of the scented article to releaseand/or emanate the scent. While the component assemblies to produce areversible seal may be described in the context of a single embodiment,the component assemblies can also be implemented in multiple embodimentsseparately or in any suitable subcombinations.

In some embodiments, for example, the inner wall 109 and the outer wall110 can be relatively longer than the inner wall 111 and the outer wall112; whereas in some embodiments, the inner wall 109 and the outer wall110 can be relatively shorter than the inner wall 111 and the outer wall112. For example, in some embodiments, the inner wall 111 and outer wall112 can be configured as a flat surface, rather than protrude upward,and the inner wall 109 and the outer wall 110 may be configured to bejust as long or longer than the height of the scented article 108. Insuch examples, the scented article 108 may sit on the flat surface andthe longer inner wall 109 and outer wall 110 would cover scented article108 when movable portion 106 is closed, while exposing the underside ofthe scented article 108 when the movable portion 106 is pulled open.

While FIG. 1B depicts scented article 108 as a ring, and the wallssurrounding it completely circular, one of ordinary skill wouldunderstand that it need not be so. So long as the walls are constructedto seal around the entirety of scented article 108 when closed, scentedarticle 108 can be shaped in other configurations to fit within theupper channel portion and lower channel portion 113. An exampleillustrating such configurations is discussed with respect to FIG. 1C.

FIG. 1C presents an alternative embodiment of the arrangement in FIG.1B, in which a scented article 152 is arranged in the cap 103 around apart of the movable portion 106. In this example, the cap 103 includesan inner wall 114 and an outer wall 115 that are built up from the topsurface of fixed base 105. Scented article 152 is disposed between innerwall 114 and outer wall 115, so that a portion of scented article 152protrudes upward above them. When movable portion 106 is in its “open”position, the protruding portion of scented article 152 is exposed tothe air.

In the example of FIG. 1C, the bottom edge of movable portion 106contains inner wall 116 and outer wall 117 that are arranged directlyabove and correspond to inner wall 114 and outer wall 115. Together, theinner wall 116 and outer wall 117 form a channel 118 into which theprotruding portion of scented article 152 can fit. The correspondinginner wall 116 and outer wall 117 are located such that, when movableportion 106 is lowered completely, they will meet inner wall 114 andouter wall 115, respectively, and form a contact seal. In this way, whenmovable portion 106 is lowered to its “closed” position, scented article152 becomes encased within the seal created by the four walls.

While scented article 152 is located beneath movable portion 106 in theembodiment in FIG. 1C, it is important to note that scented article 152remains protected from the consumer's lips by the shape of correspondingouter wall 117. Moreover, liquid traveling through flow channel 107 isstill physically separated from scented article 152.

As with the embodiment in FIG. 1B, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1Cneed not use a ring-shaped scented article or ring shape spout, butrather any shape, including a portion of a curved structure that fits inthe channel formed between the walls 114, 115, 116 and 117, which can beused so long as the walls are constructed to seal around the entirety ofscented article 152 when movable portion 106 is closed.

Beverage containers utilizing nipple-type spouts are sometimes soldpre-filled at retail intended for single use, while others are soldintended for multiple-time re-use with washing in between. In some ofthe embodiments described herein, the scented article may be attached tothe beverage container during its initial assembly and filling with abeverage in a way that it is nonremovable by the end user; or in someembodiments, the scented article may be attached in a removable, fashionso that it can be replaced when the end user desires to do so. Whilenonremovable attachment can be accomplished with chemical adhesives,FIG. 1D also shows several manners by which the scented article can beremovably attachable (e.g., capable of being attached and detached)without the use of additional chemicals that might interfere with thescented article.

In schematic D-1 of FIG. 1D, scented article 153 is structured to bevirtually the same width as the channel between the walls surroundingit, but scented article 153 contains cavities on its interior andexterior surfaces. Triangular projections 119 from the walls match theshape of these cavities and physically contact the sides of scentedarticle 153 once it is pressed downward into place during assembly. Thisform of rigid attachment should prevent scented article 153 from moving.In some examples, the triangular projections 119 are discontinuouslydisposed along the walls of the channel and configured to align withincorresponding discontinuous cavities of the scented article 153 orwithin uniform cavities of the scented article 153 that can span alongat least a portion of the interior and exterior surfaces of the scentedarticle 153. While the example schematic D1-1 shows the triangularprojections 119 protruding from the walls of the channel to align withinthe cavities of the scented article 153, it is understood that thetriangular projections 119 may be contained on the walls of the scentedarticle 153 and the cavities may be disposed on the walls of thechannel.

Schematic D-2 of FIG. 1D shows a slight variation of this arrangement,wherein the projections 120 extending from the walls are rounded insteadof triangular, and, such that the projections 120 generally match thecavities on the sides of scented article 154. With such projections, thescented article 154 (and scented article 153, for example) can bestructured to have a width slightly narrower than the channel betweenthe walls surrounding it. Physical contact between the projections 120and scented article 154 need not be maintained so long as projections120 extend sufficiently into the sides of scented article 154 to keep itfrom dislodging.

In schematic D-3 of FIG. 1D, the walls are constructed with a lip 121that projects out into the channel in which scented article 155 ismounted. Lip 121 restrains the scented article 155 due to projections122 extending from the exterior surface of the scented article 155 outtoward the walls. The projections 122 of the scented article 155 have awidth dimension from end-to-end that is larger than the width of theopening into the channel due to the projection of the lip 121. Forexample, the projections 122 can be rounded like projections 120 ortriangular like projections 119, or have other shapes based on othermaterial properties of the scented article that allow it to be pushedinto the channel such that the projections 122 pass the lip 121 of thewalls.

Schematic D-4 of FIG. 1D is a variation of this arrangement where, inaddition to lip 121, a lower lip 123 is used to bookend projection 122.Similarly, in some embodiments, a third lip (not shown) can be disposedbelow the lower lip 123, such that a scented article having twoprojections, e.g., projection 122 and a lower projection projecting fromscented article 155 to be below lower lip 123 (not shown), may align inthe spacing between (i) the lip 121 and lower lip 123 and (ii) the lowerlip 123 and the third lip, respectively. This configuration can, amongother things, allow the scented article to be manufactured with lessmaterial so that it need not abut the bottom of the channel but yetstill be secured within the channel to allow for controllable reversibleattachment.

FIGS. 2A-2I present other arrangements for how a scented system can beapplied to a kind of nipple-type spout on drinking containers usedduring active pursuits such as sports.

As shown in FIG. 2A, beverage container 201 includes a container body202 and cap 203. Like in FIGS. 1A-1D, instead of merely presenting anopening or spout for the consumer to drink from requiring the user toattach and remove the cap, the cap 203 of the beverage container 201 isfitted with a “nipple-type” spout 204 at an upper region of the cap 203and attaches to the body 202 at a lower region of the cap 203. The cap203 can attach to the body 202 at the lower region of the cap 203 by athreading that interfaces between a portion of the lower region of thecap 203 and an upper region of the body 202 to allow the lower region ofthe cap 203 to screw down onto a threaded region at the mouth of body202. In some embodiments, the beverage container 201 can include anouter cap (not shown) that covers the cap 203, e.g., to protect thenipple-type spout 204 from contaminants or unwanted contact by otherobjects. In contrast to the narrower, cylindrical spout presented inFIGS. 1A-C, for example, the top surface of spout 204 of the beveragecontainer 201 includes an ovular-shaped projection 250, more closelymatching the general shape of an open mouth than a circle. In addition,a middle region of the spout 204 descends from that oval to a broader,flatter disk-shaped base 251 of the spout 204.

FIG. 2B shows an example embodiment of the cap 203. The diagram of FIG.2B, showing a partial cutaway view or semi-cross-sectional enlargementof cap 203, illustrates the shape of the interior of the spout 204.Spout 204 includes a fixed base 205 and a movable component or assembly206 (also referred to as “movable portion” 206), in which the fixed base205 does not move relative to the lower region of the cap 203, and themovable portion 206 moves relative to the fixed base 205. In FIG. 2B,the movable portion 206 is intended to move in a twisting, rather than asliding fashion. To accomplish this, fixed base 205 includes a hollowedbarrel 259 with an opening at the bottom and having threaded region 207and a non-threaded region 252 on the outer surface of the barrel.Movable portion 206 contains an inner cylinder 253 that is just slightlywider in its inner diameter than the outer diameter of hollowed barrel259. Inner cylinder 253 has an inner surface 254 that is threaded tomatch threaded region 207 and an outer surface 255 that can be smooth.When movable portion 206 is mounted onto fixed base 205 during assembly,inner surface 254 and threaded region 207 are engaged so that movableportion 206 can be raised and lowered by way of a twisting motion. Asmovable portion 206 is raised and lowered, respectively, one or morefluid flow-channels 208 that lead to the hollow interior region of thebarrel 259 and are opened and closed based on non-contact and contact,respectively, with the surface of the inner cylinder structure of themovable portion 206, thereby allowing or preventing access to liquidstored inside the base of the bottle. Moreover, disk-shaped base 251includes a vertical flange 256 that meets the top surface of fixed base205 when movable portion is closed. In this manner, for example, ascented article 209 can be incorporated in the cap 203 such that asurface of the scented article 209 is exposed and sealed when the cap isopened and closed, respectively, as described below.

In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the movable portion 206 is in itsuppermost or “open” position lifted above the barrel 259, which opens(e.g., unseals and exposes) the flow-channel 208 to allow liquid to flowthrough and out of the cap 203. When movable portion 206 is lowered toits lowest or “closed” position, the flow-channel 208 is blocked andliquid cannot flow. In the space between the inner cylinder 253 and anouter wall (e.g., vertical flange 256) of the movable portion 206, afirst encasement structure is coupled to the movable portion to attachthe scented article 209. In the example of FIG. 2B, the first encasementstructure is configured along the inner surface of vertical flange 256and includes an inner wall 210 and an outer wall 211, such that theupper portion of the scented article 209 is held between the inner wall210 and the outer wall 211, in which a portion of scented article 209protrudes below them. When movable portion 206 is in the open position,as shown in FIG. 2B, the protruding portion of scented article 209 isexposed to the air but shielded from the consumer's lips, e.g., by thevertical flange 256. Because liquid flows through flow-channel 208, itis physically separated from scented article 209. Nevertheless, when aconsumer is drinking from spout 204, the consumer's nostrils will belocated in close proximity to scented article 209, e.g., thereby beingable to inhale the desired scent from the scented article 209 withproximally targeted precision.

The fixed base 205 includes a second encasement structure that includesa corresponding inner wall 212 and corresponding outer wall 213, whichcan be built into the fixed base 205 directly below inner wall 210 andouter wall 211. Together, corresponding inner wall 212 and correspondingouter wall 213 form a receiving channel 224 into which the protrudingportion of scented article 209 can fit. Corresponding inner wall 212 andcorresponding outer wall 213 are located such that, when movable portion206 is lowered completely, they will meet inner wall 210 and outer wall211, respectively, and form a contact seal. In this way, when movableportion 106 is lowered to its “closed” position, scented article 209becomes encased within the seal created by the four walls. In thismanner, the first encasement structure and the second encasementstructure provide a scent chamber or compartment wherein, when the cap203 is in closed position, the contact seal created by the walls 210,211, 212 and 213 of the cap encloses the scented article within thecompartment and locks in and traps the scent within, allowing controlledrelease of the scent to the outer environment.

In some implementations, to transition between the “closed” position andthe “open” position, the twisting of the movable portion 206 raises themovable portion (and thereby the walls 210, 211 with scented article209) to a height above the fixed base 205 greater than the height of thecorresponding walls 212 and 213, creating an opening into the interiorof the movable portion 206 that allows the scent to dispense out of thecap 203. In some embodiments, for example, the pair of correspondingwalls 211 and 213 can be configured to have a substantially the samewidth and the pair of corresponding walls 210 and 212 can be configuredto have a substantially the same width, respectively. Yet, in someembodiments, for example, the wall 211 can be configured to have a widthgreater than the width of the corresponding wall 213 so that, when themovable portion 206 in in the “open” position, there is a slight gapbetween the outer surface of the corresponding wall 213 and the interiorsurface of the vertical flange 256 to allow the scent to be deliveredout of the cap 203, e.g., in proximity to the user's nose whileconsuming the fluidic beverage dispensed from the top opening of the cap203 into the user's mouth.

In some embodiments, the corresponding inner wall 212 and correspondingouter wall 213 are structured to include a wider gap between them thanthe gap between the inner wall 210 and the outer wall 211, in which thereceiving channel 224 is wider than the than the width of the scentedarticle 209. In this manner, for example, an empty space or chamberexists proximate the scented article 209 when the contact seal isformed. For example, in implementations, the scented article 209 willemanate the scent to a concentration trapped within the empty chamber;and when the movable portion 206 is raised, i.e., in the open position,the trapped scent can burst out of the chamber to be inhaled by the useras a first sip of the beverage is consumed. This example embodiment isshown in the inset boxes 226A and 226B of FIG. 2B, corresponding to theopen position and closed position, respectively, in which the receivingchannel 224C includes the empty space or chamber when the contact sealis formed to trap the emanated scent within.

While FIG. 2B depicts scented article 209 and the associated wallstructures at the outer perimeter of movable portion 206, they could belocated in any position relative to screw-like track 207, includingjuxtaposed to it, as shown in FIGS. 2D-2G, for example. Scented article209 may be attached to the walls of the first encasement in any of themanners described herein, including but not limited to those in FIG. 1D.Moreover, while FIG. 2B depicts scented article 209 as a ring, and thewalls surrounding span the entire circumference of the movable portion206, other embodiments of the cap 203 include a scented article andsurrounding walls that span a portion of the circumference of themovable portion 206. In such embodiments, the walls are constructed toseal around the entirety of scented article 209 when closed, and thescented article 209 can be configured of any shape.

FIG. 2C presents an example embodiment of the cap 203 similar to thearrangement in FIG. 2B. In this embodiment, the first encasementstructure includes an inner wall 214 and outer wall 215, which are builtup from the top surface of fixed base 205 and form a portion of achannel that a scented article 257 is disposed within, so that a portionof scented article 257 protrudes upward above them. When movable portion206 is in its “open” position, the protruding portion of scented article257 is exposed to the air.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2C, the second encasement structure is coupledto the inside edge of vertical flange 256, which contains acorresponding inner wall 216 and corresponding outer wall 217 (e.g.,corresponding to the inner wall 216 and the inner wall 215,respectively). Together, corresponding inner wall 216 and correspondingouter wall 217 form a receiving channel 218 into which the protrudingportion of scented article 257 can fit. Corresponding inner wall 216 andcorresponding outer wall 217 are located such that, when movable portion206 is lowered completely, they will meet inner wall 214 and outer wall215, respectively, and form a contact seal. In this way, when movableportion 206 is lowered to its “closed” position, scented article 209becomes encased within the seal created by the four walls. In someimplementations of the cap 203 in FIG. 2C, to transition between the“closed” position and the “open” position, the twisting of the movableportion 206 raises the movable portion (and thereby the correspondingwalls 216, 217) to a height above the fixed base 205 greater than theheight of the walls 214 and 215, creating an opening into the interiorof the movable portion 206 that allows the scent to dispense out of thecap 203. In some embodiments, for example, the pair of correspondingwalls 215 and 217 can be configured to have a substantially the samewidth and the pair of corresponding walls 214 and 216 can be configuredto have a substantially the same width, respectively. Yet, in someembodiments, for example, the upper corresponding wall 217 can beconfigured to have a width greater than the width of the lower outerwall 215 so that, when the movable portion 206 in in the “open”position, there is a slight gap between the outer surface of the outerwall 215 and the interior surface of the vertical flange 256 to allowthe scent to be delivered out of the cap 203, e.g., in proximity to theuser's nose while consuming the fluidic beverage dispensed from the topopening of the cap 203 into the user's mouth.

While scented article 257 is located on fixed base 205 in the embodimentin FIG. 2C, it is important to note that scented article 257 remainsprotected from the consumer's lips by the shape of movable portion 206.Moreover, liquid traveling through channel 208 is still physicallyseparated from scented article 257.

As with the embodiment in FIG. 2B, scented article 257 and theassociated wall structures in FIG. 2C could be located in any positionrelative to screw-like track 207, including directly juxtaposed to it.Scented article 257 may be attached in any of the manners describedherein, including but not limited to those in FIG. 1D. Moreover, theembodiment depicted in FIG. 2C need not use a ring-shaped scentedarticle, but rather any portion of a region of the cap 203, e.g., in theinterior of the movable portion 206, can be used so long as the wallsare constructed to seal around the entirety of scented article 257 whenmovable portion 206 is closed.

In FIG. 2D, a scented article 258 is attached in a position juxtaposedagainst the exterior surface 255 of inner cylinder 253. Instead of usingspecially-created walls disposed in the space between movable portion206 and fixed base 205, those two structures themselves are used tocreate the sealed channel. Specifically, when movable portion 206 is inits “open” position, as shown in FIG. 2D, air is able to pass undervertical flange 256 at its bottommost lip 219. However, when movableportion 206 is screwed down into its “closed” position, bottommost lip219 forms a contact seal with fixed base 205. Such an arrangement allowsscented article 258 to fill the space beneath movable portion 206 withscent between uses, providing a high concentration burst of scent to theconsumer the next time the bottle is opened.

In the example shown in FIG. 2D, scented article 258 is shown as acomplete ring, necessitating its attachment before the installation ofmovable portion 206. However, scented article 258 can be constructed ina variety of shapes. Some of these, including any that are physicallyattached to fixed base 205 in the manners described elsewhere herein,including but not limited to those in FIG. 1D, may similarly requireinstallation before movable portion 206. However, if scented article 258were formed in the shape of a partial, or C-shaped ring, it could beclipped around exterior surface 255 after the installation of movableportion 206. In some implementations, for example, the example C-shapedring can also be compressed when inserted such that it makes a completering. In addition, for example, the scented article 258 could be mountedinside movable portion 206 before movable portion 206 is attached tofixed base 205.

In other examples, the scented article 258 can fill most of the spaceunder movable portion 206.

FIGS. 2E-2G show example embodiments of the cap 203, similar to FIG. 2D,in which the scented article 258 is sealed within the interior of themovable portion 206 by an interfacing structure 260 that form a sealwith the interior surface of the vertical flange 256. In the examplesshown in FIGS. 2E-2G, the scented article 258 is configured on a ledge259L expanding out from the inner cylinder 253 within the interior ofthe movable portion 206. In some implementations, the scented article258 is configured around the inner cylinder 253 without a ledge. Aledge, e.g., the ledge 259L, can be configured to protrude slightlyoutward from the surface to which the scented article 258 abuts. Forexample, the ledge can protrude outward at a distance that is less than100% of the width of the scented article 258, e.g., such as a range of10% to 99% of the width, providing sufficient surface area for thescented article 258 to rest upon while also allowing for the scentedarticle 258 to be separately assembled thereon. Yet, in some examples,the ledge 259L can be configured to protrude outward at the samedistance or greater than the width of the scented article 258.

The interfacing structure 260 can include a protrusion structure ofvarious geometries, such as the example interfacing structure 260A inFIG. 2E, the example interfacing structure 260B in FIG. 2F, and theexample interfacing structure 260C in FIG. 2G. The insets, labeled 261as shown in FIG. 2E, show an example of the interfacing structure 260Athat is disposed on the fixed base 205 to align with an outer wall withthe interior wall of the vertical flange 256; such that when the cap 203is in the closed position, the two surfaces are in contact and form theseal, and when the cap 208 is in the open position, the vertical flange256 is raised above the height of the interfacing structure 260A.

The insets, labeled 261 as shown in FIG. 2F, show an example of aninterfacing structure 260B formed of a pliant material and structured tohave an angled outer wall that is disposed on the fixed base 205partially underneath the interior wall of the vertical flange 256; suchthat when the cap 203 is in the closed position, the vertical flange 256contacts and compresses a small portion of the angled outer wall that isunderneath the vertical flange 256 to form the seal, and when the cap203 is in the open position, the vertical flange 256 is raised above theheight of the contact location of the angled outer wall of theinterfacing structure 260B.

The insets, labeled 261 as shown in FIG. 2G, show an example of aninterfacing structure 260C structured to have an angled or curved outerwall that is disposed on the fixed base 205 partially underneath theinterior wall of the vertical flange 256, which has an indentation thatsubstantially matches the geometry of the angled or curved outer wall ofthe interfacing structure 260C; such that when the cap 203 is in theclosed position, the vertical flange 256 contacts the angled or curvedouter wall of the interfacing structure 260C that is underneath thevertical flange 256 to form the seal, and when the cap 203 is in theopen position, the vertical flange 256 is raised above the height of theinterfacing structure 260C.

FIGS. 2H and 2I show example embodiments of the cap 203, similar to FIG.2D and FIGS. 2E-2G, in which the scented article 258 is configured toattach to the interior wall of the vertical flange 256 or on the surfaceof the fixed base 205.

FIG. 2H shows an example of a ledge 261L expanding out from the interiorwall of the vertical flange 256 to maintain the scented article 258within the interior of the movable portion 206. For example, the ledge261L can be configured to protrude slightly outward from the surface towhich the scented article 258 abuts, e.g., such as protrude outward to10% to 99% of the width of the scented article 258 to sufficientlysupport the scented article 258 when set upon it while also allowing forthe scented article 258 to be separately assembled thereon. Yet, in someexamples, the ledge 261L can be configured to protrude outward at thesame distance or greater than the width of the scented article 258. Insome implementations, the scented article 258 is configured around thevertical flange 256 without a ledge, e.g., based on adhesion orinterfacing structures like those shown in FIG. 1D.

In some implementations, for example, the positioning and manner ofattaching the scented article 258 to the cap 203 can optimize thedesired amount of surface area the scented article 258 has exposed inthe scent chamber or compartment, and thereby to the outer environmentwhen the cap 203 is in the open position. In some examples, scentedarticle 258 can be larger when it is configured around the interior wallof the vertical flange 256, e.g., as compared to when the scentedarticle is configured around the inner cylinder 253 or locations betweenthe interior wall of the vertical flange 256 and the inner cylinder 253.In some implementations, for example, the scented article 258 can spanthe space from vertical flange 256 to inner cylinder 253.

FIG. 2I shows an example of the scented article, labeled 263, that isconfigured on the surface of the fixed base 205. While FIGS. 2E-2Idepict the scented article 258 and 263 as a ring or object that spansaround the movable portion 206 at various radial distances from thecenter of the movable portion 206, other embodiments of the scentedarticle can span a portion of the movable portion 206.

FIGS. 3A-3D show example embodiments of a scented system applied to abeverage container utilizing a different kind of spout, namely asealable straw-type spout. Such spouts are often preferred by parents asa drinking system for their children given that it is both rugged andprevents spillage.

FIG. 3A shows beverage container 301. In particular, container 301includes a container body 302 and cap 303, where cap 303 is fitted witha straw-type spout 304 and screws down over a threaded portion 350 ofcontainer body 302. As shown, straw-type spout 304 can assume twopositions, an elevated, “open” position where a beverage can flowthrough the spout, and a lowered, “closed” position where the interiorof the container is sealed. The beverage container 301 is also equippedwith cover 310, which is incorporated to fold down over the tip ofstraw-type spout 304 when it is in the closed position. The straw-typespout 304 is operable to open from the closed position by actuation ofbutton 318. FIG. 3A-1 shows another elevated view of the beveragecontainer 301 depicting a hollow region or well 305.

FIG. 3B shows one example positioning for the scented system in beveragecontainer 301. Specifically, FIG. 3B shows a view down into cap 303 fromdirectly above beverage container 301. As shown, cap 303 contains ahollow well 305 into which straw-type spout 304 folds when it ismaneuvered into the “closed” position. The cap 303 includes a firstencasement structure including a wall 306 that can be disposed on thefloor of the well 305 in order to support scented article 307. The wall306 forms an empty space or channel, within which the scented article307 can be attached. As in other embodiments described herein, a scentedarticle 307 protrudes above the top of wall 306, such that whenstraw-type spout 304 is in the elevated, “open” position, scentedarticle 307 is exposed to the air. The cap 303 includes a secondencasement including a corresponding wall 308 that is constructed alongon the side of straw-type spout 304 to create an internal channel 309.Corresponding wall 308 is shaped to match wall 306, while internalchannel 309 is shaped and sized to receive the protruding portion ofscented article 307. Corresponding wall 308 is positioned such that whenstraw-type spout 304 is maneuvered to the closed position, correspondingwall 308 is lowered down over the top of scented article 307.Corresponding wall 308 touches wall 306 in this closed position,creating a contact seal that encloses scented article 307 inside it. Inthis manner, the first encasement structure and the second encasementstructure provide a scent chamber or compartment wherein, when thestraw-type spout 304 of the cap 303 is in the closed position, thecontact seal created by the walls 306 and 308 encloses the scentedarticle within the compartment and locks in and traps the scent within,allowing controlled release of the scent to the outer environment.

Although FIG. 3B shows scented article as an elongated shape runningparallel to straw-type spout 304, one of skill the art would appreciatethat, so long as both wall 306 and corresponding wall 308 are orientedto align, scented article 307 can be mounted parallel to, perpendicularto, or in any other orientation with respect to straw-type spout 304.Depending on the orientation of scented article 307 relative tostraw-like spout 304, different shapes and sizes of scented article 307may be appropriate. Scented article 307 can be attached to the bottleusing any of the manners described elsewhere herein.

FIG. 3C shows an alternative embodiment of the system just described, inwhich the positions of wall 306 and corresponding wall 308 are reversed.In this embodiment, the first encasement structure with the scentedarticle 307 is mounted on the straw-type spout 304. While the action ofopening and closing the contact-sealed channel formed by wall 306 andcorresponding wall 308 is identical to what was just described, in thisembodiment, an optional shield 321 can be incorporated along straw-typespout 304 to avoid lip contact with the protruding portion of scentedarticle 307. In some example, the shield 321 can include a perforatedmaterial to allow the scent from the scented article 307 to emanatethrough while protecting the scented article 307 from direct contactwith the user's lip.

FIG. 3D shows still another alternative embodiment of a scented systemapplied to beverage container 301. FIG. 3D shows an elevated view froman angle down upon cap 303. In some instances, e.g., where straw-typespout 304 is spring-loaded, or where additional leak protection isdesired, cover 310 can be incorporated to fold down over the tip ofstraw-type spout 304 when it is in the closed position. Cover 310provides an additional site on which scented article 307 may bedisposed. Specifically, wall 311 can be built on cover 310 to holdscented article 307. In such an embodiment, corresponding wall 312 canbe constructed below wall 312 so as to receive the protruding portion ofscented article 307 when straw-type spout 304 is maneuvered to theclosed position. In some embodiments, the wall 311 and the correspondingwall 312 can be reversed such that scented article 307 is mounted onstraw-type spout 304 and the internal channel 309 of the secondencasement structure is on the cover 310. When either arrangement ismoved to the closed position, the walls surrounding the scented article307 and the corresponding walls receiving the protruding portion of thescented article form a contact seal to seal the scented article 307inside. Once again, in FIG. 3D, a shield may be desirable betweenscented article 307 and the opening of straw-type spout 304, so thatsomeone sipping from the spout does not make lip contact with scentedarticle 307.

In each of these embodiments in FIGS. 3A through 3D, scented article 307can be attached to the side of the straw-type spout in one of themanners described herein, e.g., including but not limited to using themechanisms shown in FIG. 1D. To allow for washing and drying of thestraw-type spout between uses without damaging scented article 307,scented article 307 can be attached in a removable fashion. Moreover,the scented article can be constructed in any shape, so long as thesurrounding walls expose a portion of the scented article to allow fordispersion of scent into the air and the corresponding walls will sealaround it. For example, the scented article 307 can be configured as aring that fits within the walls 311, 312, 308, or 306 and is thereforesealable by the corresponding wall, respectively.

FIGS. 4A-4C show example embodiments of a scented system that can beapplied to a beverage container utilizing a sealable flip-cap spout.Such flip-cap spouts are often utilized on so-called travel containersthat people use to transport beverages while commuting and so forth. Inthese scenarios, spillage is also a concern, but a more specializedsports-type cap is not required. Moreover, such flip-cap type spouts andtheir containers are typically reusable, meaning they will be subject tothe stresses of washing and drying repeatedly.

FIG. 4A shows beverage container 401. In particular, container 401includes a container body 402 and cap 403. The cap 403 is fitted with aflip-cap spout 404 and is attachable to the body 402 via a threadedportion 450 between the cap 403 and the body 402. Specifically, flip-capspout 404 includes an opening 405 in a fixed base 406 connected to thebody 402 through which beverage can flow, and a movable component orassembly 407 (also referred to as “movable portion” 407). Movableportion 407 can move between a range of positions, such as an elevatedposition where the movable portion 407 is in an “open” position as shownso that a beverage can flow through the opening 405, and a lowered or“closed” position where the opening 405 is covered and liquid is trappedinside body 402. While not required, movable portion 407 may include alatch mechanism 408 to help lock it in the closed position.

Similar to other embodiments described herein, a scent-sealingcompartment or chamber may be constructed on the cap 403 to hold ascented article beneath the movable portion 407. As shown in FIG. 4B, afirst encasement structure includes a wall 409 that is created on thebottom surface of movable portion 407, which forms a channel that cansupport a scented article 410. Scented article 410 and wall 409 may beof any size or shape, so long as they match one another and a portion ofthe scented article 410 protrudes above wall 409 to expose scentedarticle 410 to the air, e.g., on multiple sides. The greater the surfacearea of scented article 410 exposed to the air, the greater thedispersion of scent. In this way, when movable portion 407 is in theopen position, as shown in FIG. 4B, the protruding portion of scentedarticle 410 is in contact with the air and will be in proximity of theuser's nose when the user sips from opening 405, while still beingphysically isolated from the beverage being sipped from opening 405 andthe user's lips. In some embodiments, for example, an optional wall 411can be included to help ensure separation between scented article 410and the user's lip.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the cap 403 includes a second encasement structureincluding a corresponding wall 412 that is disposed on fixed base 406.In the example, the corresponding wall 412 matches the shape of wall 409and contains a cavity or receiving channel 413 capable of receiving theprotruding portion of scented article 410. In this way, when movableportion 407 is lowered into the closed position, corresponding wall 412contacts wall 409, creating a contact seal in the manner describedelsewhere herein and trapping scented article 410 inside. In thismanner, the first encasement structure and the second encasementstructure provide a scent chamber or compartment wherein, when themovable portion 407 of the cap 403 is in the closed position, thecontact seal created by the walls 409 and 412 encloses the scentedarticle 410 within the compartment and locks in and traps the scentwithin, allowing controlled release of the scent to the outerenvironment.

In some embodiments, the corresponding wall 412 may be flat, or evenrecessed into the fixed base with the receiving channel 413, and thewall 409 is structured to have a height such that wall 409 stillencloses scented article 410 when movable portion 407 is in the closedposition.

Like the other embodiments described herein, for example, the placementof the scented article in this embodiment may be reversed such thatfirst encasement structure with the scented article 410 is mountedinside wall 409 located on the fixed base 406, while the secondencasement structure including the corresponding wall 412 is constructedon the bottom surface of movable portion 407. This type of arrangementis show in FIG. 4C. In such an arrangement, wall 411 may be included onfixed base 406 in order to help ensure separation between scentedarticle 410 and the user's lips when positioned at opening 405.

Scented article 410 can be attached to the flip-cap spout in one of themanners described herein, e.g., including but not limited to using themechanisms shown in FIG. 1D. To allow for washing and drying of theflip-cap spout between uses without damaging scented article 410, forexample, the scented article 410 can be attached in a removable fashion.Moreover, scented article 410 can be constructed in any shape, so longas the surrounding walls expose a portion of the scented article toallow for dispersion of scent into the air and the corresponding wallswill seal around it. For example, the scented article 410 can beconfigured as a ring that fits within the walls 409 or 412 and istherefore sealable by the corresponding wall, respectively.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a scented system that can be applied to abeverage container containing a screw-down lid. Such screw-down lids maybe preferable on thermoses and other, similarly insulated containersdesigned to maintain the temperature of chilled or heated beverages. Toprevent heat transfer, the lids in these containers can be constructedof rigid, non-conductive material, and have a threaded sealingmechanism. Because these containers may be designed for repeated use,frequent washing may be necessitated. Unlike the other embodimentsdescribed previously, users consume the beverage from these types ofcontainers by placing their lips directly against the opening; there isno spout structure utilized, and as such, there is no obvious place toincorporate a scented system.

As shown in FIG. 5, a beverage container 501 includes a container body502 and a cap 504. Cap 504 is tethered to the container body 502 by wayof strap 505 and can attach to the container body 502 by snapping orscrewing down onto a threaded neck 503, for example. Cap 504 alsoincludes a sealable compartment or chamber 506 in its bottom surface.Sealable chamber 506 includes an encasement structure to provide achannel or space for a scented article 507 and a moveable component 508to move between an open and closed position with respect to an outerwall 510 surrounding the channel where the scented article 507 isencased. In some embodiments, the movable component 508 includes a door.In such examples, door 508 can be constructed to open and close in anumber of ways, including manually or by being spring-loaded to openwhen cap 504 is removed from container body 502. Regardless of theclosure mechanism, movable component 508 may be exposed to the beverageinside body 502 when the cap is closed, such that the movable component(e.g., door) 508 makes a waterproof seal with the outer wall of theencasement structure when covering the sealable chamber 506. In thismanner, the encasement structure and the movable component provide thechamber wherein, when the movable component 508 of the cap 504 is in theclosed position, the contact seal created by the wall 510 and themovable component 508 encloses the scented article 507 within thechamber and locks in and traps the scent within, allowing controlledrelease of the scent to the outer environment.

While the sealable chamber 506 and the scented article 507 can be madein any shape relative to cap 504, scented article 507 can be attached inone of the manners described herein, e.g., including but not limited tousing the mechanisms shown in FIG. 1D. To allow for washing and dryingof beverage container 501 between uses without damaging scented article507, for example, the scented article 507 can be attached in a removablefashion. For example, the scented article 410 can be configured as aring that fits within the sealable chamber 506.

FIGS. 6A-6D show an example of a scented system that can be applied to abeverage container utilizing a straw lid. Such containers are often usedin replacement of disposable plastic cups and straws in order to reducethe accumulation of plastic waste in the environment. They featurethicker, more rugged walls in both the cup and the straw, and both mustbe capable of being washed in order to allow for reuse.

FIG. 6A shows beverage container 601, which includes a container body602 and a lid 603. Lid 603 accommodates a straw 604 through a hole 605and screws onto a threaded region 650 on the container body 602. Whileprevious systems such as container 601 have attempted to utilizingscented articles by applying them at the lid, that leaves the scentedarticle far from the user's nose. Thus, the embodiments disclosed heredeploy the scented article much closer to the user's olfactory sensorsby placing it on the straw. For example, the scented article can beconfigured within an optimal distal range from the opening of the straw604, e.g., between 2 inches to 0.5 inches away from the opening, so thatthe scented article is proximate the user's nose when the beverage isbeing consumed through the straw 604. This presents a challenge in termsof mounting and sealing the scented article.

FIG. 6B-1 shows one example embodiment designed to overcome thisobstacle. Straw 604 includes a scented article 606 attached to it and acover 607 to provide a movable encasement that forms a sealable chamberto trap the scent emanated by the scented article for controllablerelease. In some embodiments, scented article 606 can be a cylinder orring, whose internal diameter is just slightly larger than the outerdiameter of straw 604. Cover 607 can be configured as a cylindricalpiece of just slightly larger internal diameter than scented article606. When drinking from straw 604, cover 607 may be slid up or downstraw 604 into an “open” position in order to expose scented article 606to the air. When straw 604 is not in use, cover 607 may be slid backdown into a “closed” position over scented article 606 to protect it. Insome embodiments, a lip of straw material can be added to straw 604,e.g., below scented article 606, such that when cover 607 is “closed,”it contacts the lip of straw material to seal in the scented article606.

Scented article 606 is shown as a complete cylinder with a ring-shapedcross-section, which can be slid over one end of straw 604 and attachedto straw 604 by the use of adhesives or through one of the otherattachment mechanisms described herein, e.g., in FIG. 1D. In someimplementations, for example, the scented article 606 can alternativelybe constructed as a partial cylinder with C-shaped cross-section thatcan snap directly over the side straw 604. Scented article 606 should bepositioned on straw 604 close enough to one end that scented article 606will be in proximity of the user's nose while the user is sipping fromstraw 604.

While cover 607 can protect scented article and remain in place strictlythrough friction against scented article 606, cover 607 may also utilizea locking mechanism to hold in place. FIG. 6B-2 shows a cross section ofstraw 604, cover 607, and the scented article 606. Straw 604 can beconstructed with one or more grooves, 651, while cover 607 can beconstructed with a corresponding tongue 652 to match each groove. Whencover 607 is slid into the closed position over scented article 606,tongue 652 will pop into groove 651, creating a contact seal aroundscented article 606.

FIG. 6C shows an alternative embodiment by which a scented article canbe disposed on straw 604. In FIG. 6C, a close-up of straw 604 revealsthat it can be constructed from two, separate pieces, inner straw 608and outer straw 609. As FIG. 6C depicts, the inner diameter of outerstraw 609 is just slightly greater than that the outer diameter of innerstraw 608. In this way, they fit together snugly, but with thecapability of moving relative to one another when force is applied alongan axis perpendicular to those diameters. In the example embodiment, anupper portion of inner straw 608 includes a scented article 610. In someexamples, scented article 610 is likely to be configured as a cylinderor ring shape sized so that it will surround inner straw 608 withoutcollapsing it while still fitting within the inner diameter of outerstraw 609. Outer straw 609 may be positioned in an “open” position thatexposes scented article 610 to the air, or a “closed” position in whichscented article 610 is protected underneath outer straw 609. In someembodiments, a lip of straw material can be added to straw 608, e.g.,below scented article 610, such that when outer straw 609 is “closed,”it contacts the lip of straw material to seal in the scented article610.

As in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6B-1 and 6B-2, the scented articlein FIG. 6C may be a complete cylinder with a ring-shaped cross-section,or a partial ring with a C-shaped cross-section that can be attached toinner straw 608 in the same manners as described in reference to thosefigures. In various embodiments of the straw 604 shown in FIG. 6C, thescented article 610 can be located on inner straw 608 in a positionwhere it will be in proximity to the user's nose when sipping from thestraw.

FIG. 6D shows a diagram of the example embodiment of the straw 604 fromFIG. 6C in more detail regarding the sealing mechanism, e.g., showinginner straw 608, outer straw 609, and scented article 610 in across-sectional view. In this example, inner straw 608 is constructedwith a lower groove 611 and an upper groove 612. Outer straw 609 isconstructed with a tongue ridge 613 protruding into its internaldiameter. Tongue ridge 613 is capable of fitting within both lowergroove 611 and upper groove 612. When outer straw 609 is in the “closed”position, tongue ridge 613 will be positioned in lower groove 611 andscented article 610 will be covered. To expose scented article 610,force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the diameter of thestraws and toward upper groove 612. Tongue ridge 613 will be displacedfrom lower groove 611 and slide up inner straw 608 until reaching uppergroove 612. Tongue ridge 613 will drop into upper groove 612, lockingouter straw 609 in place and exposing scented article 610. Applyingforce in the opposite direction will reverse the process and sealscented article 610 between inner straw 608 and outer straw 609.Significantly, because of the contact seal between inner straw 608 andouter straw 609, beverage will never contact scented article 610. Norwill the user's lips, which will be disposed at a far end of the straw,even though scented article is located within close proximity to user'snose.

FIGS. 7A-7D show example embodiments of a scented system that can beapplied to a beverage container utilizing a pop-top lid. Such pop-toplids are commonly deployed on aluminum beverage cans. These cans aretypically meant to be disposed of or recycled following consumption ofthe beverage inside. Therefore, such beverage systems typically do notneed to stand up to the rigors of being washed between uses.Nevertheless, such systems present a challenge for combination with ascent system given the limited real estate available on the can.

FIG. 7A-1 shows such a beverage container 701. Pop-top lid 702 includesa raiseable tab 703 connected to the container by way of a flexibleportion 704 that is connected to the top surface 705 of the container701. Lifting raiseable tab 703 applies a downward force againsttear-away cover 706, pushing it into container 701 and thereby creatingan opening through which the beverage can be consumed.

In some embodiments, raiseable tab 703 contains a finger ring 707 toassist the user in grabbing and pulling on it. Finger ring 707 can becreated by bending some of the aluminum back under tab 703. Given thisexample construction, FIG. 7A-2 depicts how a scented article 709 can beplaced within the finger ring 707, held in place by this bent-underaluminum. In this example embodiment, before the container 701 isopened, the scented article 709 is sealed against top surface 705 by thedownward pressure of tab 703. When tab 703 is raised to open container701, scented article 709 is exposed to the air. In this manner, thebottom surface of tab 703 can provide a movable encasement of thescented article 709 that is sealed to trap the scent when pressedagainst the top surface 705, such as during the manufacturing process ofthe beverage container 701 or bottling process of the beverage intobeverage container 701. Notably, while the scented article 709 cannot beresealed in this embodiment, e.g., because container 701 will likely bediscarded or recycled as soon as the beverage inside is consumed, theuser should not experience any significant diminishment in scentperformance.

FIG. 7B shows another embodiment of how a scent system can be deployedon such a container like the container 701 with a pop-top lid.Specifically, FIG. 7B shows a view of the underside of tab 703. Insteadof utilizing a finger ring, the end of tab 703 opposite of flexibleportion 704 in this embodiment is a flat, solid region 708. In thissolid region 708, a scented article 759 is affixed to the underside oftab 703. The sides of scented article 759 are surrounded by anencasement that includes a wall 710 to form a channel in which thescented article 759 is contained. After manufacturing of the pop-top lidwith the container, the encasement including the wall 710 and scentedarticle 759 begin affixed to the top surface 705 of container 701 and tothe underside of tab 703. In this way, scented article 759 is completelyencased before container 701 is opened. When tab 703 is raised to opencontainer 701, wall 710 breaks away from top surface 705, exposing thescented article 759 to the air. Positioned in this way, the scentedarticle 759 is in close proximity to the user's nose when a drink istaken from the container 701. Alternatively, scented article 759 and theencasement including the wall 710 may be affixed to top surface 705,instead of tab 703; in such a case, all of the other aspects of theembodiment can be maintained and function identically. As with theprevious embodiment, the embodiment in FIG. 7B would not be resealable,but instead could be disposed/recycled as soon as the beverage insidecontainer 701 was consumed. Notably, for example, the walls in thisembodiment can be constructed of the same aluminum as container 705, orseparately constructed from plastic or foil that is applied duringassembly.

FIG. 7C shows a variation of the previous embodiment in which thescented system would be resealable. Specifically, FIG. 7C shows arotated view of the top surface 705 of container 701 with tab 703raised. Scented article 709 is located inside a wall 711 such thatportion of scented article protrudes from wall 711. Below wall 711,arranged to match its shape but have an inner diameter just larger thanthe outer diameter of wall 711 is corresponding wall 712. Correspondingwall 712 contains a channel 713 of a shape and depth that it can receivethe protruding portion of scented article 709. When originallyassembled, scented article 709 is sealed inside wall 711 andcorresponding wall 712, which are fused but perforated to separate whentab 703 is raised. After container 701 is opened by raising tab 703, tab703 can be pressed back down so that the inner circumference ofcorresponding wall 712 engages with the outer circumference of wall 711and the friction between them is sufficient to hold channel 713 closed.

While corresponding wall 712 has been depicted as being raised off thetop surface 705, one of ordinary skill would appreciate thatcorresponding wall 712 could just as easily be constructed as adepressed area on top surface 705. Similarly, one of ordinary skill inthe art will also appreciate that the relative positions of scentedarticle 709, wall 711, and corresponding wall 712 could be reversed suchthat scented article 709 and wall 711 are disposed on top surface 705rather than on the bottom surface of tab 703, and they engagecorresponding wall 712 which is mounted on the bottom surface of tab703. As with the previous embodiment, the walls in this embodiment canbe constructed of the same aluminum as container 701, or separatelyconstructed from plastic or foil that is applied during assembly.

FIG. 7D shows a final embodiment for applying a scented system to such abeverage can. Sleeve 714 is designed to be slightly larger in width andthickness than tab 703. Open at least one end, sleeve 711 can slide overtab 703 once tab 703 is raised away from top surface 705 to opencontainer 701. Sleeve 714 contains scented article 715 mounted on itssurface so that, once sleeve 714 is mounted on tab 703, scented article715 will be in close proximity to the nose of a user consuming thebeverage from container 701. In this embodiment, or any of the otherembodiments discussed in FIGS. 7A-C, the top of the container 701 can becovered in a plastic wrap or foil to add to the seal and assist inpreservation of the scented articles during assembly, transit, and inthe retail environment prior to being opened.

The example embodiments described above include features that addressand balance a number of design tradeoffs and challenges presented whenengineering and constructing containers for beverage consumption toaugment a user's drinking experience by delivering a scent from thecontainer or container's appendage using a scented article. For example,the scented article should be able to deliver scent reliably to theconsumer of the beverage repeatedly across multiple uses, even as thecontainer is exposed to various environmental stressors such as heat,cold, and/or washing. The scented article may be presented in closeproximity to the consumer's nose while the consumer is drinking thebeverage, but it is optimal that neither the beverage nor the consumer'slips should physically touch the scented article. The scented articleshould be maintained a consistent distance from the user's nose nomatter how the container is used so that the intensity of the scentedarticle can be calibrated to be strong enough to stimulate a sense oftaste but not so strong that it will antagonize the user and those in aproximate environment of the user. The scented article should besealable to preserve the scent during product manufacturing, shippingand storage to prevent cross-contamination of scents from the same ordiffering scented articles in proximity to the product. The scentedarticle should be large enough to hold a sufficient amount of scent suchthat it can stimulate a sense of taste, while small enough to minimizeconstruction materials and integrate and attach to the beveragecontainer in the precise location to optimally deliver and preserve thescent. The location of the scented article should expose enough surfacearea that scent is released with sufficient intensity to stimulate asense of taste. Moreover, different types of containers serve varyingfunctions, and those functions must still be satisfied despite theadditional delivery of the scent from the scented article to theconsumer. The above example embodiments of the scented articles andbeverage containers are engineered to overcome at least some if not allof these challenges to provide the associated benefits to the user tocreate an enjoyable drinking experience through controlled delivery of ascent for augmenting the user's taste perception.

Scented Materials for Scented Articles in Beverage Containers

As discussed above, the ability to control scent delivery and preservethe scent for repeated scent deliveries by the particular bottlecontainer may also be impacted by the materials engineered to form thescented article. For the example scented articles to be attachable toand/or incorporated in a drinking container, the scented articletypically requires a small size relative to the container structures(e.g., bottle and/or cap of the drinking container), and thereforelimited surface area, while also possessing a durable, solid structureto prevent unintentional detachments from the container (e.g., whichcould cause choking), unwanted leaching of chemicals into a beverage, orunintended uses (e.g., user eating the scented article)—and, all thewhile, must still provide a strong-enough scent for the user to smellwhile consuming the beverage, but not too-strong of a pungent scent toadversely affect the user's beverage experience. For the scented articleto achieve such functionality with a small size and sufficientstructure, the fragrance composition that creates the scent in thescented article should be loaded at and must maintain a sufficientconcentration range in the base material to produce a robust, stablescented product suitable for applications like scented beveragecontainer systems.

Example embodiments of scented materials to produce the scented articlescan include a fragrance material (e.g., such as a fragrant or scentedcompound in the form of an oil, emulsion or other liquid or liquid likephase) incorporated into a base material (e.g., a plastic). In someexamples, the fragrant compounds are engineered to be compatible withcertain polymer base materials, such as polyolefin, in which thefragrant compounds are integrated into the base material at particularlyhigh loads, such as in % wt ranges of 10% or greater, e.g., 10-30%fragrant compound. The fragrant material can include an odorless flavorcarrier compound and a scent flavor compound, which can be formed as ascented oil. In some embodiments, the odorless flavor carrier compoundincludes medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and Triacetin(1,2,3-triacetoxypropane). In such embodiments, for example, the flavoror fragrance material, such as fragrance oil, includes MCT, Triacetin,and the scent-flavor compound, in which the MCT includes a % wt in arange of 50-80% wt, the Triacetin includes a % wt in a range of 15-25%wt, and the scent-flavor compound includes a % wt in a range of 1-30%wt. In some examples, the fragrance oil includes MCT at a 50-70% wtrange (e.g., 60% wt), triacetin at a 15-25% wt range (e.g., 20% wt), andthe scent-flavor compound at 15-25% wt range (e.g., 20% wt).

In various embodiments of scented articles in accordance with thepresent technology, for example, the scented article can include thescented material (e.g., fragrance material incorporated into a basematerial) that has an exterior surface that includes cavities (e.g.,pores, troughs, etc.) that recede inward with respect to the exteriorsurface of the scented article and/or protrusions (e.g., bumps, ridges,etc.) that protrude outward with respect to the surface of the exteriorsurface. In various embodiments, for example, the scented article caninclude a uniform exterior surface of the scented material. In variousembodiments, for example, the cavities, protrusions, and/or uniformsurface can be organized along the surface of the scented article in avariety of arrangements, e.g., including an array of periodic oraperiodic positioning, or randomly. For example, the scented article caninclude certain regions of the exterior surface to have cavities, theprotrusions and/or the uniform surface; and/or the exterior surface canhave a mixture of the cavities, the protrusions, and/or the uniformsurface. In implementations, for example, the cavities and/orprotrusions provide additional surface area to the scented article thatcan increase the concentration of the scent exposed to the outerenvironment (e.g., air), and thereby enhance the delivery of the scentto the user. In some embodiments, for example, the cavities and/orprotrusions can be used to create letters, shapes, or symbols as a formof advertising or product differentiation.

In some embodiments, the scented articles can contain the scent byvarious methods and materials, including incorporating the scent intothe material of the article, e.g., during a fabrication process toproduce the article, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,801,969B2, entitled“SCENTED ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS”, the entire content of which isincorporated by reference in this patent document. For example, thescented article (e.g., scented ring) can be fabricated using a plasticmaterial, e.g., polyethylene, polyurethane or other example materialsdescribed herein, that is loaded with the odorous compound or aggregatethat produces the scent to a desired concentration, e.g., which can beselected based on multiple variables including the type of scent (e.g.,degree of pungency of a particular scent).

Examples

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleA1), a scent delivery system includes a cap removably attachable to adrinking container at an opening of the drinking container, the capincluding a mechanism to move between an open position that allows fluidwithin the drinking container to flow outward and a closed position thatprevents the fluid to flow outward; and a scented article that couplesto the cap and operable to generate a scent capable of stimulating anolfactory sensation of a user including during consumption of the fluidwhen the cap is in the open position, wherein, when in the cap is inclosed position, a seal is created by the cap to enclose the scentedarticle and lock in the scent.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleA2), a cap for providing a scent delivery system to a beverage containerincludes a fixed base including a hole through which the beverage canpour; a movable portion mounted on the fixed base so that the movableportion moves between a closed position that seals the hole and an openposition that unseals the hole; an attachment assembly including a firstinner wall and a first outer wall capable to dispose a scented articlebetween them so that a portion of the scented article is exposed to airwhen the movable portion is in the open position; and a receivingassembly including a second inner wall and a second outer wall, wherein,when in the movable portion is in closed position, the first inner wallis in contact with the second inner wall, and the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleA3), a scent delivery system includes a lid removably attachable to adrinking container at an opening of the drinking container, the lidincluding a mechanism to move between an open position that allows fluidwithin the drinking container to flow outward and a closed position thatprevents the fluid to flow outward; and a scented article that couplesto the lid and operable to generate a scent capable of stimulating anolfactory sensation of a user including during consumption of the fluidwhen the mechanism is in the open position, wherein, when in themechanism is in closed position, a seal is created to enclose thescented article and lock in the scent.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleA4), a scent delivery system includes a straw removably attachable to adrinking container at an opening of the drinking container, the lidincluding a mechanism to couple a scented article to the straw and movebetween an open position that allows a scent to emanate therefrom and aclosed position that creates a seal to lock in the scent, wherein thescent is capable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a userincluding during consumption of the fluid when the mechanism is in theopen position.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleB1), a scent delivery system for a beverage includes a cap attachable toa beverage container proximate an opening of the beverage container tocover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly, between aclosed position that prevents a liquid contained within the beveragecontainer to flow outward from the beverage container and an openposition that allows the liquid within the beverage container to flowoutward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent.

Example B2 includes the scent delivery system of any of the preceding orsubsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first encasement of the scentchamber is coupled to the movable component, and the second encasementof the scent chamber is coupled to the fixed base.

Example B3 includes the scent delivery system of example B2 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the firstencasement is coupled to a peripheral wall of the movable component.

Example B4 includes the scent delivery system of example B2 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first innerwall and the first outer wall of the first encasement have a height withrespect to a trough of the first channel that is less than a height ofthe scented article such that the scented article protrudes out of thefirst channel.

Example B5 includes the scent delivery system of any of the preceding orsubsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the second encasement of the scentchamber is coupled to the movable component, and the first encasement ofthe scent chamber is coupled to the fixed base.

Example B6 includes the scent delivery system of example B5 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the firstencasement is disposed on a surface of the fixed base.

Example B7 includes the scent delivery system of example B5 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first innerwall and the first outer wall of the first encasement have a height withrespect to a trough of the first channel that is less than a height ofthe scented article such that the scented article protrudes out of thefirst channel.

Example B8 includes the scent delivery system of any of the preceding orsubsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the movable component includes ashaft and an outer wall that spans outward and downward such that themovable component forms an enclosable space with the fixed base, suchthat the enclosable space is enclosed when the movable component is inthe first position, and wherein the scent chamber is contained within atleast a portion of the enclosable space between the movable componentand the fixed base.

Example B9 includes the scent delivery system of example B8 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the firstencasement is coupled to a peripheral wall of the movable component.

Example B10 includes the scent delivery system of example B8 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the firstencasement is coupled to an interior wall of the movable component.

Example B11 includes the scent delivery system of example B8 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the firstencasement is disposed on a surface of the fixed base.

Example B12 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first encasement of the scentchamber includes a curved geometry spanning around the movable componentof the cap.

Example B13 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first encasement of the scentchamber includes a curved geometry partially spanning around a portionof the movable component of the cap.

Example B14 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein at least one of the first innerwall, the second inner wall, the first outer wall, or the second outerwall includes a material to mechanically compress against an interfacingsurface of a corresponding wall to create the contact seal when the capis in the closed position.

Example B15 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein at least one of the first innerwall, the second inner wall, the first outer wall, or the second outerwall includes an additional lip of material on a contacting surface tocontact against an interfacing surface of a corresponding wall to createthe contact seal when the cap is in the closed position.

Example B16 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the first encasement or thesecond encasement includes an O-ring to contact against an interfacingsurface of a corresponding wall to create the contact seal when the capis in the closed position.

Example B17 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the fixed base includes acylinder and a plug.

Example B18 includes the scent delivery system of example B17 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the movablecomponent is moveably coupled to the cylinder and operable to movebidirectionally by sliding up and down with respect to the cylinder.

Example B19 includes the scent delivery system of example B17 or any ofthe preceding or subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the movablecomponent is moveably coupled to the cylinder and operable to rotatewith respect to the cylinder along a threading or projection on thecylinder.

Example B20 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scented article includes aring.

Example B21 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scented article includes atleast a portion of a ring.

Example B22 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scented article includes oneor more cavities along at least one side surface of the scented article,and wherein the first channel includes one or more projections along atleast one corresponding side surface of the first channel, such that theone or more projections of the first channel align with and fit withinthe one or more cavities of the scented article when the scented articleis attached to the first channel.

Example B23 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scented article includes oneor more projections along at least one side surface of the scentedarticle, and wherein the first channel includes one or more cavitiesalong at least one corresponding side surface of the first channel, suchthat the one or more projections of the scented article align with andfit within the one or more cavities of the first channel when thescented article is attached to the first channel.

Example B24 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scented article includes oneor more projections along a side surface of the scented article directedat the first inner wall or the first outer wall, and wherein one or bothof the first inner wall and the first outer wall includes a lip thatprojects out into the first channel at a location closer to an apertureof the first channel than the one or more projections of the scentedarticle to retain the scented article within the first channel.

Example B25 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the scent delivery system isoperable to repeatedly trap the scent generated by the scented articlein the scent chamber and release the scent to an outer environment fromthe cap over a plurality of instances where a user moves the cap betweenthe closed position and the open position.

Example B26 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the beverage container includes asports bottle and the cap includes a nipple-type spout.

Example B27 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B1-B27, wherein the cap includes a sealableflip-cap spout or a sealable straw-type spout.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleB28), a scent delivery system for a beverage includes a cap attachableto a beverage container proximate an opening of the beverage containerto cover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly, between aclosed position that prevents a liquid contained within the beveragecontainer to flow outward from the beverage container and an openposition that allows the liquid within the beverage container to flowoutward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, the movable component including a shaftand an outer wall that spans outward and downward such that the movablecomponent forms an enclosable space with the fixed base, such that theenclosable space is enclosed when the movable component is in the firstposition, and a scent chamber contained within at least a portion of theenclosable space between the movable component and the fixed base,wherein the scented article is attached to the movable component or tothe fixed based, such that a portion of the scented article is exposedto air from an outside environment with respect to the cap when themovable component is in the second position, wherein, when the movablecomponent is in first position, the outer wall of the movable componentis in contact with the fixed base to create a contact seal to enclosethe scented article within the scent chamber and lock in the scent.

Example B29 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein at least one of the outer wallor the fixed base includes a material to mechanically compress against acorresponding surface when the movable component is in the firstposition to create the contact seal when the cap is in the closedposition.

Example B30 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein at least one of the outer wallor the fixed base includes an additional lip of material on a contactingsurface to contact against a corresponding surface when the movablecomponent is in the first position to create the contact seal when thecap is in the closed position.

Example B31 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein at least one of the outer wallor the fixed base includes an O-ring to contact against a correspondingsurface to create the contact seal when the movable component is in thefirst position when the cap is in the closed position.

Example B32 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein the fixed base includes aninterior cylinder, and wherein the shaft of the movable component ismoveably coupled to the interior cylinder and operable to rotate withrespect to the interior cylinder along a threading or projection on theinterior cylinder.

Example B33 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein the scented article includes aring.

Example B34 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein the scented article includes atleast a portion of a ring.

Example B35 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B28-B35, wherein the beverage container includesa sports bottle and the cap includes a nipple-type spout, or wherein thebeverage container includes a sealable flip-cap spout.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleB36), a scent delivery system for a beverage includes a straw removablyattachable to a drinking container proximate a hole of the drinkingcontainer, the straw operable to allow a liquid contained within thedrinking container to flow through the straw and out of an opening ofthe straw when suction is applied to the opening; and a scented articlecoupled to an exterior surface of the straw and operable to generate ascent capable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user includingduring consumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position,the straw including a cover disposed on an outside region of the strawand able to move between a first position that fully covers the scentedarticle and a second position that at least partially exposes thescented article to allow the scent to emanate therefrom.

Example B37 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, comprising a locking assembly thatincludes one or more cavities disposed on the external surface of thestraw proximate the scented article, and one or more protrusionsdisposed on an interior surface of the cover proximate an end of thecover configured to cover the scented article, wherein the one or moreprotrusions are structured to fit within the one or more cavities,wherein, when the cover is in first position, the one or moreprotrusions on the cover are disposed within the one or more cavities onthe straw to create a contact seal to enclose the scented articleunderneath the cover and lock in the scent.

Example B38 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, comprising a locking assembly thatincludes one or more protrusions disposed on the external surface of thestraw proximate the scented article, and one or more cavities disposedon an interior surface of the cover proximate an end of the coverconfigured to cover the scented article, wherein the one or moreprotrusions are structured to fit within the one or more cavities,wherein, when the cover is in first position, the one or moreprotrusions on the straw are disposed within the one or more cavities onthe cover to create a contact seal to enclose the scented articleunderneath the cover and lock in the scent.

Example B39 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, wherein the straw includes an innerstraw, and the cover includes an outer straw having an inner diametergreater than an outer diameter of the inner straw.

Example B40 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, wherein the scented article includes aring that wraps around the circumference of the straw.

Example B41 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, wherein the scented article includes atleast a portion of a ring.

Example B42 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B36-B42, wherein the scented article ispositioned from the opening of the straw between 0.5 inches to 2 inchesaway from the opening.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleB43), a scent delivery system for a beverage includes a pop-top lidattached to a top surface of a beverage container proximate an openingof the beverage container that is initially covered by a cover, thepop-top lid operable to move with respect to the top surface of thebeverage container, wherein the pop-top lid is in an initial positionwhen the cover covers the opening, and wherein the pop-top lid ismovable to a second position to cause the opening to be at leastpartially uncovered by the cover; a scented article operable to generatea scent capable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a userincluding during consumption of the liquid; and a scent chamberincluding an encasement to which the scented article is attached, theencasement coupled to the pop-top lid or the top surface of the beveragecontainer, wherein a portion of the scented article is exposed to airfrom an outside environment with respect to the scent chamber when thepop-top lid has been moved from the initial position to the secondposition, and wherein the encasement creates an initial contact seal toenclose the scented article within the scent chamber and lock in thescent when the pop-top lid is in the initial position.

Example B44 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B43-46, wherein the encasement includes a sleeve.

Example B45 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B43-46, wherein the pop-top lid includes a fingerring, and the encasement includes a portion of the finger ring proximatean aperture in the finger ring that is bent over a portion of thescented article to allow a remaining portion exposed, such that thefinger ring is pressed against the top surface of the beverage containerwhen the pop-top lid is in the initial position to trap the scent.

Example B46 includes the scent delivery system of any of the precedingor subsequent examples B43-46, wherein the scented article is surroundedby the encasement, and the encasement includes a wall to form a channelin which the scented article is contained within.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present technology (exampleB47), a scent delivery system for a beverage includes a cap attachableto a beverage container proximate an opening of the beverage containerto cover the opening into the beverage container, the cap operable tomove, reversibly, between a closed position that prevents a liquidcontained within the beverage container to flow outward from thebeverage container and an open position that allows the liquid withinthe beverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a base, amovable component coupled to the base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the base between a first position and asecond position, and a scent chamber including an encasement to whichthe scented article is attached, the encasement coupled to the movablecomponent or the base, wherein a portion of the scented article isexposed to air from an outside environment with respect to the cap whenthe movable component is in the second position, and wherein theencasement creates a contact seal to enclose the scented article withinthe scent chamber and lock in the scent when the movable component is inthe first position.

Example B44 includes the scent delivery system of example B47, whichincludes one or more features described in any of examples B1-B46.

It is intended that the specification, together with the drawings, beconsidered exemplary only, where exemplary means an example. As usedherein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. Additionally, the use of “or” is intended to include“and/or”, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

While this patent document contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may beclaimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific toparticular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features thatare described in this patent document in the context of separateembodiments can also be implemented in combination in a singleembodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multipleembodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Moreover, the separation of various system components in theembodiments described in this patent document should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments.

Only a few implementations and examples are described and otherimplementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on whatis described and illustrated in this patent document.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scent delivery system for a beverage,comprising: a cap attachable to a beverage container proximate anopening of the beverage container to cover the opening, the cap operableto move, reversibly, between a closed position that prevents a liquidcontained within the beverage container to flow outward from thebeverage container and an open position that allows the liquid withinthe beverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixed baseincluding a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, a movablecomponent coupled to the fixed base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the fixed base between a first position toblock the hole and put the cap in the closed position and a secondposition to unblock the hole and put the cap in the open position, and ascent chamber comprising a first encasement and a second encasement,wherein the first encasement includes a first inner wall and a firstouter wall that form a first channel between them, wherein the secondencasement includes a second inner wall and a second outer wall thatform a second channel between them, wherein the first encasement isconfigured to attach the scented article to one or both of the firstinner wall and the first outer wall such that the scented article isdisposed in the first channel so that a portion of the scented articleis exposed to air when the movable component is in the second position,and wherein the second encasement is positioned to align with the firstencasement such that, when the movable component is in first position,(i) the first inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall and(ii) the first outer wall is in contact with the second outer wall tocreate a contact seal around the scented article, wherein, when the capis in closed position, the contact seal created by the cap encloses thescented article and locks in the scent, wherein the first encasement ofthe scent chamber is coupled to the movable component, and the secondencasement of the scent chamber is coupled to the fixed base, whereinthe first encasement is coupled to a peripheral wall of the movablecomponent.
 2. The scent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the fixedbase includes a cylinder and a plug, and wherein: the movable componentis moveably coupled to the cylinder and operable to move bidirectionallyby sliding up and down with respect to the cylinder, or the movablecomponent is moveably coupled to the cylinder and operable to rotatewith respect to the cylinder along a threading or projection on thecylinder.
 3. The scent delivery system of claim 1, wherein the scentedarticle includes a ring, or wherein the scented article includes atleast a portion of a ring.
 4. The scent delivery system of claim 1,wherein the scent delivery system is operable to repeatedly trap thescent generated by the scented article in the scent chamber and releasethe scent to an outer environment from the cap over a plurality ofinstances where a user moves the cap between the closed position and theopen position.
 5. The scent delivery system of claim 1, wherein thebeverage container includes a sports bottle and the cap includes anipple-type spout.
 6. A scent delivery system for a beverage,comprising: a cap attachable to a beverage container proximate anopening of the beverage container to cover the opening, the cap operableto move, reversibly, between a closed position that prevents a liquidcontained within the beverage container to flow outward from thebeverage container and an open position that allows the liquid withinthe beverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixed baseincluding a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, a movablecomponent coupled to the fixed base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the fixed base between a first position toblock the hole and put the cap in the closed position and a secondposition to unblock the hole and put the cap in the open position, and ascent chamber comprising a first encasement and a second encasement,wherein the first encasement includes a first inner wall and a firstouter wall that form a first channel between them, wherein the secondencasement includes a second inner wall and a second outer wall thatform a second channel between them, wherein the first encasement isconfigured to attach the scented article to one or both of the firstinner wall and the first outer wall such that the scented article isdisposed in the first channel so that a portion of the scented articleis exposed to air when the movable component is in the second position,and wherein the second encasement is positioned to align with the firstencasement such that, when the movable component is in first position,(i) the first inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall and(ii) the first outer wall is in contact with the second outer wall tocreate a contact seal around the scented article, wherein, when the capis in closed position, the contact seal created by the cap encloses thescented article and locks in the scent, wherein the first inner wall andthe first outer wall of the first encasement have a height with respectto a trough of the first channel that is less than a height of thescented article such that the scented article protrudes out of the firstchannel.
 7. The scent delivery system of claim 6, wherein the beveragecontainer includes a sports bottle and the cap includes a nipple-typespout.
 8. A scent delivery system for a beverage, comprising: a capattachable to a beverage container proximate an opening of the beveragecontainer to cover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly,between a closed position that prevents a liquid contained within thebeverage container to flow outward from the beverage container and anopen position that allows the liquid within the beverage container toflow outward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent, wherein the second encasement of the scent chamber iscoupled to the movable component, and the first encasement of the scentchamber is coupled to the fixed base, wherein the first inner wall andthe first outer wall of the first encasement have a height with respectto a trough of the first channel that is less than a height of thescented article such that the scented article protrudes out of the firstchannel.
 9. The scent delivery system of claim 8, wherein the firstencasement is disposed on a surface of the fixed base.
 10. A scentdelivery system for a beverage, comprising: a cap attachable to abeverage container proximate an opening of the beverage container tocover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly, between aclosed position that prevents a liquid contained within the beveragecontainer to flow outward from the beverage container and an openposition that allows the liquid within the beverage container to flowoutward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent, wherein the movable component includes a shaft and anouter wall that spans outward and downward such that the movablecomponent forms an enclosable space with the fixed base, such that theenclosable space is enclosed when the movable component is in the firstposition, and wherein the scent chamber is contained within at least aportion of the enclosable space between the movable component and thefixed base.
 11. The scent delivery system of claim 10, wherein the firstencasement is coupled to the movable component.
 12. The scent deliverysystem of claim 10, wherein the first encasement is coupled to the fixedbase.
 13. A scent delivery system for a beverage, comprising: a capattachable to a beverage container proximate an opening of the beveragecontainer to cover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly,between a closed position that prevents a liquid contained within thebeverage container to flow outward from the beverage container and anopen position that allows the liquid within the beverage container toflow outward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent, wherein at least one of the first inner wall, the secondinner wall, the first outer wall, or the second outer wall includes anadditional lip of material on a contacting surface to contact against aninterfacing surface of a corresponding wall to create the contact sealwhen the cap is in the closed position.
 14. The scent delivery system ofclaim 13, wherein the cap includes a sealable flip-cap spout.
 15. Ascent delivery system for a beverage, comprising: a cap attachable to abeverage container proximate an opening of the beverage container tocover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly, between aclosed position that prevents a liquid contained within the beveragecontainer to flow outward from the beverage container and an openposition that allows the liquid within the beverage container to flowoutward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent, wherein the first encasement or the second encasementincludes an 0-ring to contact against an interfacing surface of acorresponding wall to create the contact seal when the cap is in theclosed position.
 16. The scent delivery device of claim 15, wherein atleast one of the first inner wall, the second inner wall, the firstouter wall, or the second outer wall further includes a material tomechanically compress against the interfacing surface of thecorresponding wall to create the contact seal when the cap is in theclosed position.
 17. The scent delivery system of claim 15, wherein thecap includes a sealable flip-cap spout.
 18. A scent delivery system fora beverage, comprising: a cap attachable to a beverage containerproximate an opening of the beverage container to cover the opening, thecap operable to move, reversibly, between a closed position thatprevents a liquid contained within the beverage container to flowoutward from the beverage container and an open position that allows theliquid within the beverage container to flow outward while the cap isattached to the beverage container; and a scented article that couplesto the cap and operable to generate a scent capable of stimulating anolfactory sensation of a user including during consumption of the liquidwhen the cap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixedbase including a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, amovable component coupled to the fixed base such that the movablecomponent is able to move with respect to the fixed base between a firstposition to block the hole and put the cap in the closed position and asecond position to unblock the hole and put the cap in the openposition, and a scent chamber comprising a first encasement and a secondencasement, wherein the first encasement includes a first inner wall anda first outer wall that form a first channel between them, wherein thesecond encasement includes a second inner wall and a second outer wallthat form a second channel between them, wherein the first encasement isconfigured to attach the scented article to one or both of the firstinner wall and the first outer wall such that the scented article isdisposed in the first channel so that a portion of the scented articleis exposed to air when the movable component is in the second position,and wherein the second encasement is positioned to align with the firstencasement such that, when the movable component is in first position,(i) the first inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall and(ii) the first outer wall is in contact with the second outer wall tocreate a contact seal around the scented article, wherein, when the capis in closed position, the contact seal created by the cap encloses thescented article and locks in the scent, wherein the scented articleincludes one or more cavities along at least one side surface of thescented article, and wherein the first channel includes one or moreprojections along at least one corresponding side surface of the firstchannel, such that the one or more projections of the first channelalign with and fit within the one or more cavities of the scentedarticle when the scented article is attached to the first channel.
 19. Ascent delivery system for a beverage, comprising: a cap attachable to abeverage container proximate an opening of the beverage container tocover the opening, the cap operable to move, reversibly, between aclosed position that prevents a liquid contained within the beveragecontainer to flow outward from the beverage container and an openposition that allows the liquid within the beverage container to flowoutward while the cap is attached to the beverage container; and ascented article that couples to the cap and operable to generate a scentcapable of stimulating an olfactory sensation of a user including duringconsumption of the liquid when the cap is in the open position, whereinthe cap comprises: a fixed base including a hole through which theliquid can flow out from, a movable component coupled to the fixed basesuch that the movable component is able to move with respect to thefixed base between a first position to block the hole and put the cap inthe closed position and a second position to unblock the hole and putthe cap in the open position, and a scent chamber comprising a firstencasement and a second encasement, wherein the first encasementincludes a first inner wall and a first outer wall that form a firstchannel between them, wherein the second encasement includes a secondinner wall and a second outer wall that form a second channel betweenthem, wherein the first encasement is configured to attach the scentedarticle to one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallsuch that the scented article is disposed in the first channel so that aportion of the scented article is exposed to air when the movablecomponent is in the second position, and wherein the second encasementis positioned to align with the first encasement such that, when themovable component is in first position, (i) the first inner wall is incontact with the second inner wall and (ii) the first outer wall is incontact with the second outer wall to create a contact seal around thescented article, wherein, when the cap is in closed position, thecontact seal created by the cap encloses the scented article and locksin the scent, wherein the scented article includes one or moreprojections along at least one side surface of the scented article, andwherein the first channel includes one or more cavities along at leastone corresponding side surface of the first channel, such that the oneor more projections of the scented article align with and fit within theone or more cavities of the first channel when the scented article isattached to the first channel.
 20. A scent delivery system for abeverage, comprising: a cap attachable to a beverage container proximatean opening of the beverage container to cover the opening, the capoperable to move, reversibly, between a closed position that prevents aliquid contained within the beverage container to flow outward from thebeverage container and an open position that allows the liquid withinthe beverage container to flow outward while the cap is attached to thebeverage container; and a scented article that couples to the cap andoperable to generate a scent capable of stimulating an olfactorysensation of a user including during consumption of the liquid when thecap is in the open position, wherein the cap comprises: a fixed baseincluding a hole through which the liquid can flow out from, a movablecomponent coupled to the fixed base such that the movable component isable to move with respect to the fixed base between a first position toblock the hole and put the cap in the closed position and a secondposition to unblock the hole and put the cap in the open position, and ascent chamber comprising a first encasement and a second encasement,wherein the first encasement includes a first inner wall and a firstouter wall that form a first channel between them, wherein the secondencasement includes a second inner wall and a second outer wall thatform a second channel between them, wherein the first encasement isconfigured to attach the scented article to one or both of the firstinner wall and the first outer wall such that the scented article isdisposed in the first channel so that a portion of the scented articleis exposed to air when the movable component is in the second position,and wherein the second encasement is positioned to align with the firstencasement such that, when the movable component is in first position,(i) the first inner wall is in contact with the second inner wall and(ii) the first outer wall is in contact with the second outer wall tocreate a contact seal around the scented article, wherein, when the capis in closed position, the contact seal created by the cap encloses thescented article and locks in the scent, wherein the scented articleincludes one or more projections along a side surface of the scentedarticle directed at the first inner wall or the first outer wall, andwherein one or both of the first inner wall and the first outer wallincludes a lip that projects out into the first channel at a locationcloser to an aperture of the first channel than the one or moreprojections of the scented article to retain the scented article withinthe first channel.